In the end, after having suffered several variations on this riveting conversational theme, I gave up and decided that it made a certain sense to think of the DS3 as a Mini. After all, Citroën obviously had an eye, if not two, on the Mini's style, shape and, indeed, performance. Better to embrace the idea, go with the flow, and not get hung up on obscure technical details such as the name of the manufacturer.

So how was this Mini that is really a Citroën? Well, the first thing to say is that it doesn't look that much like a Mini. It's got a more sloping nose, for a start, and more room at the rear, and it's generally less chunky. If you went so far as to park it next to a Mini Cooper, they'd no doubt look as different from each other as a Bentley from a Prius.

And yet there is some essence of Mininess in the DS3, some inescapable core quality that goes beyond the mundane fact that it is a small three-door car. These days, of course, Minis are no longer quirky vehicles for sociology students to cram into, but instead serious style choices with a fair bit of BMW power and knowhow under the bonnet.

The DS3 is an obvious attempt to crash the deluxe supermini market. Just look at the interior. I've rarely seen so many black lacquered surfaces outside certain upmarket Japanese restaurants. The details – the metal pedals and nifty gearstick – are all compact and sporty and designed with design in mind.

But the DC3 has more going for it than superficial touches. It doesn't just speak of speed, it also goes out there and does it. Or at least it does if that's what you're after. And if you're driving the DSport 1.6i version, then the chances are you want more out of it than easy parking and a vivid colour scheme.

And it doesn't disappoint. The acceleration is lively and feels even livelier – a 7.3 second/0-62mph time in a supermini provides a similar sensation to, say, a 6.3 second response in a saloon. The less car there is protecting you from the world you're hurtling towards, the keener your awareness of speed and, come to that, mortality.

Perhaps if you were designing the Mini from scratch, it would look more like the DS3 than any of the current Minis. But the point is it's not from scratch. The Mini does exist. As a result, the DS3 is a fine car whose only obvious deficiency is novelty. But then, sometimes a copy is better than the original.